Paul Redfearn, a nationally known botanist and former Springfield mayor, had a hand in the development of the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden and the Springfield Botanical Gardens.

The professor emeritus at Missouri State University, who authored or co-authored nearly 100 publications — including two books — died Nov. 26 in the Kansas City area. He was 92.

During 31 years of teaching and researching at Missouri State, Redfearn established the university's herbarium, to collect and preserve Ozarks plant specimens. It is the second largest in the state.

He was also instrumental in the development of the Rountree Neighborhood Association and its original plan.

"He was a tremendous community asset," said George Deatz, a lifetime member and former president of Friends of the Gardens. "He was just a wonderful person to be associated with and very detailed in his knowledge of plants."

The Florida native moved to Springfield for the MSU job but stayed for all the flora.

"It's one of the most botanically interesting places in the nation — all the regions' plants seem to meet here," Redfearn told the News-Leader in 2008, noting he briefly thought about taking jobs elsewhere. "Then I'd come home, go on a field trip, and not want to leave."

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The Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield(Photo: News-Leader file photo)

Redfearn spent eight years on the Springfield City Council, representing Zone 5 from 1973 to 1977. He was mayor from 1979 to 1981.

“The city mourns the passing of former Mayor Paul Redfearn. We are grateful for his exemplary service to our community," said Mayor Ken McClure. "Our community relies upon, and functions best, when we have dedicated individuals such as Mr. Redfearn to provide volunteer leadership. His contributions to our community will live on.”

Redfearn was an early member of the Friends of the Gardens and supported the creation of the stroll garden and the botanical gardens.

"He was very important because he believed in botany. He believed in public education," Deatz said. "All of those things were instrumental in what was ultimately developed."

In the mid-1940s, Redfearn served in the U.S. Army Air Corp and then in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corp from 1950-1954 serving in California and Japan.

He earned a doctorate from Florida State University and then spent three decades as a teacher and researcher at Missouri State.

An expert in the study of mosses and liverworts, Redfearn collected plant specimens in the Ozarks, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas, Alaska, Canada, Japan, China and the Canary Islands. He was selected for a one-month visitation to the Soviet Union by the National Academy of Sciences in 1971.

Michelle Bowe, a senior biology instructor who now oversees the herbarium at Missouri State, said Redfearn's wife of 70 years, Alice Rubie, often accompanied him on the trips to curate specimens. She survives him along with their children, grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Michelle Bowe(Photo: File photo)

"He was very close with his wife Alice. They were pretty much always together," Bowe said. "They had a really special relationship."

During his lengthy career, Redfearn authored or co-authored nearly 100 publications, including two books.

Bowe, who joined MSU in the early 2000s, said she was aware of Redfearn's work and books years before they worked together. He continued to be involved, as a professor emeritus, after his retirement in 1987.

In 2012, when Redfearn moved to the Kansas City area, he handed off the list of plants he'd been collecting at the university's Bull Shoals Field Station. Bowe continues the work.

"He was a nationally known person in his field," Bowe said. "I've been missing him."

At one point. Redfearn was board president of the Botanical Society of Southwest Missouri, which developed and preserved the stroll garden. In 2001, he told the News-Leader: "The garden takes on a different appearance every time I come out here."

He won teaching awards during his career and was involved in a long list of local, state and national environmental efforts.

Redfearn was also involved in establishing the Rountree Neighborhood Association and helped develop the original plan, which set strict limits on encroachment and commercial development.

"Rountree is thankful for his foresight," said Laurel Bryant, who currently serves as the president. "We rely on our association and urban conservation district to protect our way of life."

She said as the neighborhood works to update its plan, residents appreciate the "care and good stewardship" of the forerunners.

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A memorial service for Paul Redfearn has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Christ United Methodist Church in Independence. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Paul Redfearn Endowed Fund c/o Missouri State University Foundation, 300 South Jefferson, Springfield, MO 65806.